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The Brain Surgeon
The Brain Surgeon'Joseph Quinn and Vince Masuka, Episode 802: Every Silver Lining. In addition to news sites prior to the season's release. is a 'Character in DEXTER. This individual is a Serial Killer who recently appeared in Miami, claiming the life of at least three victims and is suggested to have claimed more. Evelyn Vogel Profiling The identity of the killer is currently unknown and has made an elaborate play to hide his identity (using murder by proxy with Lyle Sussman and setting him up as the killer). Dr. Evelyn Vogel, an expert neuropsychiatrist, assists Miami Metro Homicide in attempting to identify the killer. She informs Dexter Morgan that there is the possibility that the killer is one of her former patients. This theory is further proven when the killer repeatedly leaves the killer's trademark excised brain-matter on her doorstep, wrapped in butcher's paper. The killer even went so far as to break into her house and left a DVD showing how he forced one man to kill another. Appearance From Vogel's profiling, the killer is presumed to be a male in his 30's at earliest. The killer has been shown (only briefly in a video), to be wearing jeans and an elastic blue glove covering his right hand (which was holding a gun at the time). Personality Currently unknown, however Vogel suggests that the killer is an intelligent yet egotistical man who takes great pride in his work (even so much as to take joy in the police conversing about him). The killer is identified as a psychopath and referred to as a serial killer, though anything outside of the profiling is uncertain. Thus far the kills have been well planned and untraceable, including the use of weather to reduce visibility. The Brain Surgeon appears to keep his victims in captivity, with at least one being forced into an enclosed space for a lengthy period of time (at least 5 days), inferred from the victim's apparent lack of nutrition. The killer has been shown to keep more than one victim hostage, such as when he coerced Lyle Sussman to kill Welks, 'though the two different manners of murder belie what the show has demonstrated about serial killers. We have seen times when Dexter killed people in non-ritual fashions (usually in emergency, life-or-death situations), but he never posed his improvised-kills for ritualistic or non-utilitarian purposes. The hanging from the meat hook seemed symbolic, yet was pointedly not the Brain Surgeon's standard modus operandi. He is also shown to have a pattern in his kills, always removing the same distinct piece of the brain (Anterior insular cortex), during every kill. This could simply indicate that he put a lot of thought into it (Since the portion that he extracts produces empathy), or it could be a message to Dr. Evelyn Vogel, possibly conflicting her theory about pschycopaths' lack of emotion. Plot Season 8 'Dexter Morgan is called into a scene where the body of a man was found outside a body of water. Appearing to have been simply shot and dumped here, Dexter identifies the man as Robert Bailey, a mechanic. Upon further investigating the body, he lifts up the head to reveal that the back of the skull has been cut open and separates from the remainder of Bailey's head. Dexter lifts up the back of the skull, examining that a portion of the brain appears to have been scooped out. Back at the Miami Metro Police Department, Deputy-Chief Thomas Matthews debriefs detectives involved in the case and brings in a consultant named Dr. Evelyn Vogel, an expert neuropsychiatrist whom Matthews had worked with before and who just happened to be in Miami, to aide in their investigation. She talks about how the killer carefully extracted a specific portion of the brain, the anterior insular cortex to be exact. Explaining that this part of the brain processes empathy, she finds it ironic that the very hallmark of a psychopath is that they have no empathy. Vogel goes on to state that it may be a coincidence, but if someone were to go to this much trouble in removing a particular core of the brain they must have put deep thought into the process. She also hypothesizes that it was either an experiment or a message, which wouldn't be the first time a killer has used a victim to communicate. Details of the way Bailey was killed are revealed via the medical examiner's report, stating that he was first shot and that the surgical removal of the insular cortex was done postmortem. The victim was kept in captivity in an enclosed space, with no contents present in his stomach showing dehydration. She elaborates that this is likely not his first kill, specifically when details of the victim are revealed, suggesting that he was kept in captivity for at least 5 days. Such a carefully thought out ritual prior to the killing suggests that the killer has in fact claimed lives before, and will most likely strike again. Evelyn Vogel approaches Dexter, informing him about her knowledge (and involvement) in regards to his past. Knowing exactly who he is, she introduces him to some videotapes of Harry's sessions and ultimately steers the conversation towards a favor she needs. She pulls from the cupboard a jar, containing a piece of brain matter (the very same brain matter from Robert Bailey) and tells him that this was left on her door step. Her concern is that it's a warning, practically a threat on her life...by one of her former patients. Uncertain of who it is, she asks Dexter to aide her irregardless (though he assures her that he does not take "requests"). Elsewhere, a tiled room is shown with a man named Leonard Welks strapped to a body-shaped table with medical supplies kept in nearby cabinets, with the song "Make Your Own Kind of Music" (by Mama Cass Elliot) playing in the background. Another man by the name of Lyle Sussman approaches Welks, who can't speak with duct tape over his mouth. Sussman apologizes to the man, stating that he doesn't deserve this but he has to...without a choice. Sussman then pulls a plastic bag over Welks' face and suffocates him. The following day the body is left out at a skatepark where Dexter arrives and moves the head, revealing the same separate of the skull where a piece of the brain has been scooped out. Observations on the corpse reveal asphyxiation and they figure since the murder weapon was left at the last crime scene, then it may be here as well. Certainly enough the plastic bag used to kill Welks is tied to a banister, where they can check for prints. Dexter returns to the lab, discovering a print belonging to a Lyle Sussman. Vogel, who had been concerned it was one of her former patients, proclaims that she does not recognize the man and has never heard of him. This gives her some relief, allowing Dexter to continue his investigation further where he finds the empty house belonging to Sussman. He finds that he's a very neat person, much like Dexter himself and a big game hunter out in the wilderness. He discovers a photo, with signs featuring the name of a lake and inclines to further investigate the area. When Dexter does finally arrive at the cabin, he finds that it's filled with quite the selection of knives and other hunting equipment, including an obscure metal chair that looks to be capable of keeping someone strapped down. Before he can look further, he hears a thumping noise outside and heads out through the back door onto the patio...where he discovers Sussman hanging by a hook. Returning to tell Vogel this news, he suggests maybe he had an accomplice who killed him. Vogel states that it's highly unlikely and in this situation, she's certain the killer does everything alone. After a lengthy talk, Dexter leaves and as some time passes, Vogel calls him up to tell him that someone has been in her house. Concerned for her life, she waits for Dexter to arrive who investigates the house and finds no one. However, a DVD was left on Vogel's desk...when played, it was revealed that Sussman was forced to kill Welks before being shot himself in the back of the head by a mysterious man wearing blue gloves. When the police come to investigate the scene, Dexter realizes that the body has been relocated and enters his house, only to find Sussman on the ground with a huge gunshot wound in the back of his head. As the police rule it a suicide, Dexter knows the true killer had restaged the scene to avoid anymore attention from the police. Elsewhere, Vogel gets a mysterious text telling her to look outside. Vogel opens the door and finds two more brain pieces put into tiny boxes, saying "his" and "hers" on them. Knowing that these glands are responsible for vision, Dexter states that the killer must be aware of them both now. As Dexter investigates deeper into Vogel's former patients, he suspects Ron Galuzzo, a man who killed his friend at a young age and convinced Vogel that it was the school bully. When Dexter goes to his house, he finds various organs stashed in the fridge and upon finding finding a whole brain in a cup of garlic, he realizes that Galuzzo cannot be the killer, since he eats the brains that he harvests. Even so, Dexter killed him because he was a cannibal, but he also admitted that he and Galuzzo have similarities. In the next episode, Vogel wonders if Dexter had any luck with the killer. Dexter says no, but informs her that he crossed out three more former patients, and now suspects A.J. Yates, a man who suffered a brain lesion in his youth and was beyond Vogel's help. When Dexter goes to spy on him, he notes that Yates has the signiature marking carved into the back of his skull, precisely where the killer cuts open his victims. Dexter goes to ask Vogel what happened, Vogel responding that Yates had a flaw in his brain, and that the hospital had to conduct surgery on his brain, leaving the scar there permanently. When Dexter investgates his house, Yates overhears Dexter and Vogel's conversation on the phone, and he seems surprised to hear of Dexter (We know that the two brain pieces symbolized that he knew of Dexter), but judging by his reaction, Yates may not be the real killer. Victims *'Robert Bailey' *'Leonard Welks' (Proxy, through Sussman) *'Lyle Sussman ' Appearances Season Eight *A Beautiful Day (killing spree begins) *Every Silver Lining (concealed in shadow) *What's Eating Dexter Morgan? (killing spree only) Trivia *The Brain Surgeon is the fourth serial killer to not be immediately identified to the public, following the example of the Ice Truck Killer, The Skinner and The Phantom Arsonist. Trinity was immediately identified, though remained nameless until halfway through his season. References Category:Serial killers Category:Main antagonists Category:Season 8 characters Category:Aliases Category:Murderers by proxy Category:Images needed